Floor mat for animals

ABSTRACT

A rubber or plastic floor mat for a stable, factory or the like, the major surfaces of which are provided with regularly distributed projections with a substantially circular or polygonal cross-section, the projections of one surface lying intermediately between the projections of the other surface, at least a part of the peripheral zone of the mat being provided at the lower side with a thicker border portion extending substantially by the same distance as the lower projections. This border portion may be provided with transverse grooves extending over the full width of this portion.

United States Patent Stockl Oct. 24, 1972 [54] FLOOR MAT FOR ANIMALS2,512,310 6/1950 Corson ..1 ..15/215 [72] Inventor: vilem StocklAmsterdam, Nether 2,665,664 l/1954 Ben amin ..1 19/28 lands FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Assigneei Rubberindustrie Vaslo Culem- 939,4152/1956 Germany ..119/28 borg, Netherlands 1,291,141 3/1962 France..l5/2l5 22 F1 d: Oct. 19 1970 1 1 e Primary ExaminerAldrich F. MedberyPP N011 813695 Att0rneyBayard H. Michael 52] US. Cl. I9/28, 15/215,52/177, [57] ABSTRACT 206/.8 A rubber or plastic floor mat for a stable,factory or [51] Int. Cl. ..A01j 1/00 e e, t e major Surfaces of whichare provided with [58] Field of Search ..119/27, 28, 16; 044/31, 87;regularly distributed Projections with a substantially 15/215; 206/3;296/ 52/177 circular or polygonal cross-section, the projections of onesurface lying intermediately between the projec- [56] References Citedtions of the other surface, at least a part of the peripheral zone ofthe mat being provided at the lower UNITED STATES PATENTS side with athicker border portion extending substantially by the same distance asthe lower projections. 3,488,081 1/1970 No11n..1.l. ..15/215 This borderpomon may be provided with transverse D162,626 3/1951 Ca we ..D44/31grooves extending over the full width Ofthis portion D37,684 ll/l905OBrem ..D44/31 348,782 9/1886 Sawyer ..15/215 2 Claims, 3 DrawingFigures PATENTED 24 3,699,926

Fig.3

INVENTOR ATTORNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to afloor mat made of an elastic material such as rubber or plastic sheetmaterial, which mat is particularly intended for covering floor surfacesin stables, factories and the like.

Stable mats of rubber or similar elastic materials are known. Such matscomprise, in general, at least at the lower side parallel grooves forfacilitating the removal of water or the like. It has, however, appearedthat the liquid removal is often insufficient, in that the lower surfaceshould be repeatedly cleaned, which is, in the case of large and heavymats, objectionable.

Such mats with a flat surface have the disadvantage that this surfacebecomes slippery, so that, particularly when used as a stable mat, thefeet of animals and attendants have insufficient grip on that surface.If, on the other hand, the surface is grooved, the grip transversely ofthe grooves is improved, but such grooves are quickly soiled, so thatthe advantage is quickly lost if the upper surface is not repeatedlycleaned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a mat which does nothave these disadvantages, and it is an object of the invention toprovide a mat of this kind, which provides a sufficient grip at itsupper surface and, nevertheless, may be easily cleaned.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mat of this kindwhich presents a soft and flexible support to the feet or to the bodiesof lying animals, and which, nevertheless, has a uniform and high loadbearing capacity.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mat of this kind,which allows an unimpeded removal of liquids accumulating below thelower surface without retention of stagnant water.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a mat which, by itsflexibility and elastic support on the floor, provides a pumping actioncausing a continuous removal of liquids accumulated between the mat andthe floor.

It is a last object of the invention to provide a mat of this kind whichcomprises such border portions that several mats may be laid on a floorwith contacting edges without gaps between adjacent mats.

The floor mat of the invention comprises at both sides a plurality ofprojections, which, at each side, are arranged in a regular array alongat least two mutually intersecting series of parallel lines, theprojections at one surface being symmetrically disposed between theprojections at the opposite surface, the projections at one side havingall substantially the same height, one surface being provided with anintegral border portion which is thicker than the mat between theprojections and having a surplus thickness which is substantially thesame as the thickness of the projections at that side of the mat, saidborder portion extending along at least a part of the periphery of themat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mataccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section along the line IIII of FIG. 1;

and FIG. 3 is a plan view of a part of such a mat.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The mat shown in the drawingcomprises, at its lower surface knobs 2 with a flat lower surface andhaving, in general, a circular cross-section. As shown in FIG. 3

, these knobs are arranged along two groups of parallel linesintersecting at right angles. It is, however, also possible to use adifferent arrangement, e.g. with lines intersecting at a sharp angle orwith more groups of lines. At the opposite siderounded knobs 3 areprovided which are symmetrically arranged between the knobs 2 as shownin FIG. 3, and having the same configuration. When a knob 3 is loaded,for instance by the hoof of an animal, the mat will be deformed as shownin FIG. 2, the material of the mat body being elastically pressed intothe hollow between the adjacent knobs 2 of thelower surface. Thus asmoothly flexible mat surface is obtained providing a soft support forlying and standing animals. Moreover a pumping action is obtained inthis manner at the lower side of the mat, since, by the elasticdeformations of the mat, the air and liquid present between the mat andthe underlying floor is kept moving, the circulation and ventilationthus obtained being very favorable for hygienic easeness. The roundedupper knobs 3 provide sufficient grip for the feet of the animals,particularly when rising or lying down, but these knobs do not promotethe accumulation of dirt. Moreover the interspaces between the roundedknobs are cleaned as easily as a flat mat surface. The flexibility ofthe mat may be less desirable in the border parts where a mat joins anadjacent mat, the flexibility then causing gaps to be formed between theadjacent edges of these mats when loaded.

In order to prevent this, the mat of FIG. 1 is, at least at those sidesbordering an adjacent mat, provided with a projecting lower rim orborder portion 4 extending as far as the lower knobs 2 from the lowermat surface. The border portions of the mat are, therefore, lessflexible than the rest of the mat. In order to maintain an unimpededcommunication between the space between the mat and the underlyingfloor, transverse slots or grooves 5 are provided in the lower face ofsuch a border portion, especially in the case of a border portionsurrounding the whole periphery of the mat. These grooves 5 provide acommunication between the interspace between the knobs 2 and thesurrounding. It is, however, possible to omit this border portion at oneor two edges of the mat.

The principal advantage of the air circulation provided by the pumpingaction of such a mat is that the floor remains substantially dry, andthe air provides, in addition, a heat insulation which is favorable formaintaining an agreeable temperature near the floor, especially in thecase of animals lying on the floor mat.

The floor mat described and shown is only an example, and may be variedwithin the scope of the invention. Instead of cylindrical knobs 2 alsopolygonal or oblong knobs may be used, and the rounded knobs may bereplaced by cylindrical or polygonal knobs. Mats of the kind disclosedmay be manufactured from rubber or plastic sheet material which issuitable for the envisaged use.

I claim:

1. A floor mat comprising;

a generally flat sheet of resilient material;

a plurality of parallel rows of uniformly spaced a thickened bordersection integral with and extending along at least a portion of theperiphery of said sheet, said border section extending downwardly fromthe bottom surface of said sheet at a distance substantially equal tothe height of the down protuberance and having a plurality of transversegrooves extending over the full width thereof, which are incommunication with the spaces between the down protuberances.

v2. A floor mat according to claim 1 wherein said up and downprotuberances are hemispherically shaped.

1. A floor mat comprising; a generally flat sheet of resilient material;a plurality of parallel rows of uniformly spaced protuberances havingsubstantially equal heights and extending downwardly from the bottomsurface of said sheet, the protuberances in adjacent rows also beingarranged in parallel rows; a plurality of parallel rows of uniformlyspaced protuberances Extending upwardly from the top surface of saidsheet, the up and down protuberances arranged in staggered relationshipso that those on one side of the sheet are disposed symmetricallybetween those on the other side; and a thickened border section integralwith and extending along at least a portion of the periphery of saidsheet, said border section extending downwardly from the bottom surfaceof said sheet at a distance substantially equal to the height of thedown protuberance and having a plurality of transverse grooves extendingover the full width thereof, which are in communication with the spacesbetween the down protuberances.
 2. A floor mat according to claim 1wherein said up and down protuberances are hemispherically shaped.